Rocking-boat amusement device.



W. S. TOTHILL. ROUKfNG BOAT AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION TILED JAN. 29,1910.

982,314. Patented Jam 24, 1911.

THE "cams PETERS co., WASHINGTON, v. c,

UNITE ROCKING-BOAT AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

Application filed January 29, 1910. Serial No. 541,152.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. ToTHILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rocking-Boat Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to rocking boat amusement devices and has for its object to provide a new form of amusement device as hereinafter described, designed particularly for the use of children and provided with the necessary precautionary features to make it perfectly safe for their enjoyment.

One special end sought to be attained has been the provision in my rocking boat of satisfactory mounting means, by the use of which the device is rendered very easy to operate at the same time being insured against tipping over under any ordinary usage and being insured against creeping or moving gradually out of position.

I accomplish these objects by the means shown in the drawings and hereinafter specifically described.

That which I believe to be new will be set fort-h in the claims.

In the drawings :I igure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a top or plan View, with the central portion of the flooring broken away. Fig. 8 is a sec tion on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by like reference characters,10 indicates the crossbars of the base of my device, having secured to them in any suit able manner two longitudinal bars 1112.

131 1 indicate the sides of the body of the device, said sides being curved on their lower edges so that the body is adapted to rock, the curvature of one of the sides being of course the same as that of the other throughout their length. 15-16 indicate crossbars secured between said sides 18l-1 and assisting in holding the two sides in position relative to each other. 17 indicates a floor also secured in any suitable manner between said sides intermediate their longitudinal edges, and also assisting in holding the sides in position relative to each other.

18 indicates one of a series of pieces, preferably of metal, secured to each of the sides l31t and extending outward therefrom,

the outer ends of such pieces being secured in position by diagonal braces 19. 20 indicates seats secured in any suitable manner to said pieces 18, and 21 indicates seats across the ends of said body, being secured to the upper edges of the sides 1314..

22 indicates the backs of the seats 20-2l, the boards of which are secured in the construction shown to the upper ends of the brace bars 19. The backs across the ends of the body are also secured to the backs which extend along the sides, such connection be- 111g made by means of-angle-irons 23.

24 indicates arms secured to the seats and backs and dividing the seats into sections.

At one side, the seat 20 and back 22 are discontinued for a space to provide an entrance into the body, a step 25 being secured in any suitable manner to the side of the body in appropriate position.

26 indicates a standard rising from the base, in the construction shown being in the form of a block of wood of a length to fit loosely between the sides 13-14 and lp ezung braced in the base by means of pieces 28 indicates blocks secured to the body ateach side of the standard 26, being posltioned at such a distance apart that there shall be some little play between each block 28 and the standard 26 when the body is 1n normal horizontal position. The blocks 28 diverge toward their upper ends, the angle of the face of either block being such in the construction shown that when the opposite end of the body is rocked to its lowermost desired position such block bears squarely against the standard 26. In the construction shown, blocks 28 are provided at each side of the body, being secured to the sides 1311, the braces 27 being so placed as to have a loose working fit between the blocks 28.

By the means just described, the body is held in proper relation to the base, while at the same time it is perfectly free to rock. Indeed, I have found that with my arrangement of parts a boat of a size to accommodate say twenty or thirty children can be easily rocked by a single child as an occupant with little effort on his part.

29 indicates guards secured upon the base at each side of the body so as to prevent a child from crawling under the boat from either side or from accidentally putting his hand or foot under it. As shown, the

guards extend from the middle point of the base to near the ends of the base.

So far as I am aware, no one has heretofore provided an amusement device in the form of my rocking boat with seats along the sides or ends, and these features are therefore claimed broadly. WVhile I have shown the standard 26 as fixed upon the base and the blocks 28 rocking relative to the standard, it will be understood that the conditions might be reversed, with the blocks 28 fixed on the base and the parts 26 and 27 or their equivalent secured to the body of the boat, the object sought to be attained being to provide cooperating stops which Will limit the movement of the boat relative to the base and which will cause it by its rocking movement to be returned to normal position if it is momentarily displaced from position.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a rocking; boat amusement device, the combination with a base member, and a body member having a curved lower surface adapted to rock on said base and pro vided with seats across its ends and along its sides, of stops secured on said base and said body adapted to limit the relative movement of the same, said stops comprising a block rigidly secured to one of said members, and a pair of oppositely-disposed blocks rigidly secured on the other of said members, which last-named blocks when both members are in normal horizontal position stand at opposite sides of said firstmentioned block and at some little distance therefrom, the adjacent faces of said second-- named blocks diverging toward their upper edges.

2. In a rocking boat amusement device, the combination with a base member and a body member comprising two longitudinally-extending rockers, means for securing said two rockers together, and seats secured across its ends and along its sides, of a standard secured to said base and extending transversely thereof, braces standing at right angles to said standard at each end thereof holding the standard rigidly in position, a pair of oppositely-disposed blocks rigidly secured on the inner face of each of said rockers, which blocks when both of said members are in normal horizontal position stand at opposite sides of said stand-- ard and at some little distance therefrom, the inner faces of said blocks diverging toward their upper edges, and a transversely-extending block secured to the outer ends of the first-mentioned blocks located at each side of said standard.

WILLIAM S. TOTHILL.

lVitnesses MINNIE A. HUNTER, W. H. DE BUSK. 

